We are truly sad to say that ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead will no longer be able to play Prepare the Ground. In their stead on Friday, May 29 we are honoured to welcome back one of the most important bands in North American Black Metal, Yellow Eyes.

The band pushes and pulls through shadowed passages and climbing crescendos, inviting you into a soundscape that is overwhelming and mesmerising, & ultimately beautiful. By the end of their set, Hell Is Other People leave a lingering weight in the air, their presence will resonate at PtG.

Fusing black metal ferocity and the velocity of hardcore, Austin’s Portrayal of Guilt punishes from opening screams to closing roars. Dissonance and abrasion go hand in hand with pulsating rhythms, moving to create a vortex of sound that hypnotises and overwhelms... no space for safety or control.

Ramping up the volume to its maximum, Indian Handcrafts turn that weight into pure momentum, letting their songs surge with crackling energy and frenetic dynamism. The riffs hit hard and the band fills the room from wall to wall with an unstoppable drive that demands attention.

Pretty lean into free-spirited energy, rhythms stretch and shimmer as songs unfold with effortless cool. The performance is carried by warm riffs and playful beats - the kind of set that invites you to drift along - time softens at the edges and the glow of psychedelic colour takes hold.

Volunteer registration is now open for Prepare the Ground 2026. The festival's beating heart is the community of volunteers and attendees who make it possible. View all of the info and the application on our website. Join us in making PtG a special experience for everyone descending on Toronto!

Witch Club Satan emerged from the Norwegian underground, channeling the primal energy of black metal, stripping the genre to its raw core and reshaping its legacy with incendiary intent.

Wayfarer's music is expansive and echoes across evocative landscapes with powerful immediacy, offering audiences a tangible sense of living the past through the present, a journey perfectly captured on their latest album, “American Gothic.”

Last year’s debut, Die Close, showcased just how committed to the craft Olds truly is. Rooted firmly in heavy metal’s classic foundations, the record embraces touches of doom, goth, and black metal, expanding the palette without losing sight of its core intensity.

Tomorrow, Wed February 11 @ 5 PM EST on Instagram Live the one and only Metal & Coffee will be in conversation with Prepare the Ground Co-Director & Curator KW to chat all about the festival, the quantity of coffee they each drink ( its too much ) and who they're most excited to see this May!

Borne from extreme isolation in the Spring of 2020, Toronto’s lowheaven sit in the shadows left by the melding of darkness and light, their post-hardcore style pushing for weighted contrast and emotive candor - finding balance between heaviness and softness.

There aren't many bands who encapsulate what Prepare the Ground is about from an ethos and musical aspect more than Mizmor, and finally welcoming them to our stage is as thrilling for us as it is for you.

Drawing influence from post-punk and deathrock, Boston’s Final Gasp channel darkness through driving rhythms, melodic guitars, and a deadly attachment to the past, their music echoing the underground vibe of 80s goth clubs.

Built on slow-moving riffs, Vancouver’s Tribunal craft a deliberate and imposing monument to sound with their patient, weighty doom. Songs unfold in calm measure, each moment living in the present, melting into the next, creating a weight that carries through each track and into the live setting.

A recap of the new additions we put out yesterday. From legendary ambiance of William Basinski, to the feral rage of Witch Club Satan, to guttural roars of Portrayal of Guilt, to the meditative destruction of Mizmor & the pageantry & brutality of Blood Vulture there is truly something for everyone.

We are honoured to welcome 18 more artists including William Basinski, Witch Club Satan, Mizmor, Portrayal of Guilt, Wayfarer, Indian Handcrafts, Blood Vulture, Final Gasp, Tribunal and more. As always, we have a few tricks up our sleeves. Single day tickets now available.

Soft daylight breaks through the darkness, a whisper of promise floats on the breeze, and the calmness in the air stirs as branches snap underfoot. A wanderer seeks redemption and offers gifts to the coming dawn as warm rays bathe the world in renewed light and take what is owed.

Repetitive cycles of guitar are juxtaposed against harsh vocals and climbing melodies, bringing a sense of dread to fleeting moments of beauty, the rot creeping into the spaces between sounds and taking root at the very base of the heart.

Controlled chaos imbues tension into songs that marry frenzy with longer passages, fuelling the passion that seeps into the intensity of Wiegedood live performance. Be prepared for bold, authentic despair, stark atmosphere, and ferocious bite when they take to the Prepare the Ground stage next May.

At the heart of UUGGHH’s sound lies bass and drums, forming a driving backbone that anchors the chaos. Layered over this foundation is glitchy noise rock and weirdo hardcore, punctuated by frantic shouts, impassioned spoken word passages, and an attitude that has to be seen to be believed.

Tómarúm bring together the bleaker elements of black metal and the curiosity of prog in extended songs, fantastical lyrics, and shifts in tempo. Songs transform from mysterious rhythms, climbing solos to crystalline vocals with such ease and precision that you are swept into their world imagined.

Torche will carry that revitalized energy into Prepare the Ground in 2026, bringing riffs and joy to the forefront of the festival. Their unique take on heavy music is one that is as beloved now, years after we thought they were over, as it was two decades ago. Welcome back to the world of heavy.

Gritty and entrenched in the local DIY scene, the quintet use their own experiences to inform their sound - emotionally raw, wearing its heart on its sleeve, Dear Evangeline’s discography is one transformed by passion, positive and negative, which is apparent in the intensity of their live shows.

The Keening are heavy. Emotionally and musically, The Keening will capture you in their warm, soothing arms, only to rip out your heart in the next moment.

Not every moment can be so full of rage, and Conjurer often weave in subtle passages that reflect memories and bygone eras, pulling you closer to the essence of the band. With their newest opus, Unself, we welcome Conjurer to Prepare The Ground with open hearts and a willingness to be transformed.

Deftly melding the boundaries of the past with the present, the Toronto-based quartet are armed with songs so slyly catchy that you’ll be lost in their movements before you even realise what is happening. Prepare yourselves for a voyage into the vast unknown.

Ten years have passed since Minsk released a new album, seven years since new music at all and a good while since the band even performed live. 2025 marks a shift for the Illinoisans as they hit the road for the summer and have announced they're joining the line-up for Prepare The Ground in 2026.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead rarely play live anymore and, rightly, garner huge response when they do. Now, they are slowly regaining their footing and for Prepare The Ground, Trail Of Dead will be performing two classics: Source Tags & Codes and The Secret of Elena’s Tomb.

Oathbreaker have been in the shadows for a long, long time, with their last album Rheia, released in 2016 and live performances being few and far between, Nevertheless, Oathbreaker are held in high regard some ten years later and will be performing Rheia in full at Prepare The Ground next year.

Yesterday we added ten more artists to our 2026 edition. Three days of heavy, dark, cathartic music in the core of the city of Toronto awaits you May 29-31. Join us, won't you?

Today we welcome more artists to our ever growing celebration of all things cathartic. This addition further cements Prepare the Ground 2026 as one not to be missed. Prepare the Ground takes over the Annex district of Toronto May 29 - 31, 2026. 3 day passes are available. Join us, won’t you?

It seems fitting that Amenra will perform their public catharsis within the hallowed walls of Trinity St. Paul’s. Performing twice in this sacred location, Amenra will bring their self-flaggelation to the masses in an acoustic session and an electric appearance.

Slow, sublime moments are interspersed between the classically heavier, screamo style passages, as Malevich navigate philosophical concepts and personal realisations.

Taking a journey into the farthest reaches of space and time are Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu, an entity so mind-boggling that even repeated listens of 2024s Muuntautuja has yet to reveal its full depths. Step into the void …. if you dare.

Swirling storms, driving rhythms & punchy beats underpin the sound of the Philadelphian's music, making them an exciting prospect no matter year they exist in, or wish to have. August’s frenetic A Sullen Dark Sky fresh in mind, Unholy Altar are primed for a heroes welcome at Prepare The Ground.

Prepare The Ground is Svalbard’s first and final performance in North America as they announced their amicable dissolution earlier in 2025. Expect a ferocious, precise, emotional time this coming May at PtG.

Tijuana finest is pushing the boundaries of crust in their use of melody and glowing structures to propel the music on April’s Mil orquídeas en medio del desierto to stratospheric heights. Habak are a vital voice in underground music, and it's an honour to host them in Toronto next May.

Prepare the Ground, May 29 - 31 2026 in Toronto. 3 day passes are now abilable, along with limited new Under-19 (Canada's version of All Ages) pass which grants access to our two all ages venues, arts market, and movie scores strictly for those under the age of 19 (is check at pass pickup)

Just announced! We will be co-presenting the upcoming Pelican show at Lee's Palace with Collective Concerts on July 23rd 2025. 🎫 on sale February 14th at 10AM EST link.dice.fm/ea48c3be3215

@adultperiod.bsky.social will be playing @ptgtoronto.bsky.social this summer www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK-8...

we are thrilled to share our full lineup including Baroness performing the Red & Blue albums in full, Burning Love's reunion, two silent movie scores by Planning for Burial & Pygmy Lush and so much more. Single Day & 2-Day passes are all live at preparetheground.com

"We're so excited to return to Toronto! We'll be playing a set that spans the majority of our discography. Endless gratitude to the folks at Prepare the Ground and all of you who keep the world of underground metal alive. See you in Toronto this May!" preparetheground.com

One week until our next announce…

Midwife is the rare project that brings together fans of all walks of music. Introspective, serene, devastating, her self described Heaven Metal is awash with reverb and meditative repetition that is sure to swell your emotions as it does the noise.

The influence that Kylesa had on metal is undeniable, they clawed at the corners of constricting genre definitions to craft unique sonic explorations within heavy music. we are honoured to host their first reunion in north america at PtG25! TIX: preparetheground.com

Alaskan were atmospheric, post-metal titans whose crescendoing sonic scapes crashed into you at their apex like a freight train. We are thrilled that they reunited to play one more time for us, an exclusive celebration of one of Ontario's most underrated metal inspirations.

Ahoy hoy, Bluesky 👋🏻

Pygmy Lush is the Dr. Jekyll to Pageninetynine's Mr Hyde. Meticulously crafted dark folk steeped in southern lore & DIY ethics. One of the top bands on our bucket list, it is a genuine honour to host one of their rare performances at PtG25. Tickets: www.preparetheground.com